24 replies to this topic

[dvn]

Can you guys take a look at this list and tell me what you think? This would replace my main PC which is currently a Q9550 Socket 775 system. The i5-2500K may or may not get swapped out for an i7-2600K, depending on funds. The biggest question is the board. I think it's probably fine since I'm not going to be over-clocking. I'm also not concerned if it doesn't have ob RAID. It has uEFI and a couple 6Gb/s SATA connectors.

Also, is there any reason I should not use uEFI at this time? I'm looking forward to faster boot times which I understand it provides.


LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58 Black CECC Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

$69.99 $55.99



Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K

$219.99



Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996995

$54.99


ASRock Z68 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

$104.99

[no-control]

The EFI install is not really that much faster on boot. In the end I dumped the EFI install and just went with the normal windows install.

EFI install is incompatible with WHS, just a heads up. Backups will fail, so consider that if its your b/u solution.

[JediTim]

The EFI install is not really that much faster on boot. In the end I dumped the EFI install and just went with the normal windows install.

EFI install is incompatible with WHS, just a heads up. Backups will fail, so consider that if its your b/u solution.

This is the first I have heard of this. My next build would most likely included a MB that includes EFI. Are you saying that I will not be able to connect this build to a WHS 2011 for a backup? That would seem very shortsighted by Microsoft.

I would hope an update to WHS 2011 would fix this in the future.
Tim

[ikon]

The EFI install is not really that much faster on boot. In the end I dumped the EFI install and just went with the normal windows install.

EFI install is incompatible with WHS, just a heads up. Backups will fail, so consider that if its your b/u solution.

This is the first I have heard of this. My next build would most likely included a MB that includes EFI. Are you saying that I will not be able to connect this build to a WHS 2011 for a backup? That would seem very shortsighted by Microsoft.

I would hope an update to WHS 2011 would fix this in the future.
Tim

Tim asks a good question nocontrol; do you mean EFI on the WHS2011 or on the clients, or both?

[dvn]

Tim asks a good question nocontrol; do you mean EFI on the WHS2011 or on the clients, or both?

I did a quick check in the forums and found this article by Tim Daleo:
http://homeserversho...gpt-sermon.html

Tim's article says that an OS on a GPT disk on a client PC is not supported for backup by WHS 2011. He doesn't mention uEFI itself being a problem, but does say there's a bug in the Connector software that prevents backup of GPT client PC's.

That leaves me to assume that a client PC with a MBR disk on a uEFI motherboard will work.

[no-control]

Let be clear here I'm talking about an EFI windows installation on a EFI motherboard NOT a regular windows install on an EFI motherboard.

You will not be able to backup an EFI install using WHS (Either version). Or any GPT partition for that matter.

We discussed this at length on BYOB during the WHS2011 Beta and my Project: Sabertooth build.

Edited by no-control, 10 October 2011 - 09:38 AM.

[dvn]

I'm still not quite clear.

MBR + BIOS = ok

MBR + uEFI = OK

GPT + uEFI = no-go

Edited by no-control, 10 October 2011 - 09:39 AM.
fixed ;)

[no-control]

The motherboard has no bearing on it. only the type of windows install.

I only brought this up because you mentioned EFI to speed up boot times. There isn't really a faster boot from an EFI motherboard unless you do a EFI windows installation. You didn't make it clear what you were doing so I wanted to point it out.

Edited by no-control, 10 October 2011 - 09:37 AM.

[dvn]

Ok. So it's all to do with GPT. Clear. Thank you!

So back to the subject at hand. Does that mobo look decent enough for someone who's not going to be OC'ing?

[dvn]

I only brought this up because you mentioned EFI to speed up boot times. There isn't really a faster boot from an EFI motherboard unless you do a EFI windows installation. You didn't make it clear what you were doing so I wanted to point it out.

Ok. Back to unclear.

What do you mean by EFI installation?

GPT + uEFI or MBR +uEFI

Are you referring to both of these, one of these?? Or are you saying that EFI, period, kills it for WHS backups? Because I thought we had been saying an GPT OS was the impossible scenario.

[dvn]

Well, it's all moot now. I substituted the i7-2600k for the i5 and hit the buy button. Thanks for everyone's input.

[no-control]

Windows has 2 different environments for install one of which is a special EFI install for EFI machines which offers a much faster bootime (in my case it was sub 10 seconds). GPT is a requirement for an EFI install so there isn't a need to make that distinction. You can format a GPT partition for an os install (3TB HDD anyone?) and not use the EFI version of windows. If you have a uEFI motherboard & GPT partition and use the EFI version of windows You have an EFI installation.

[dvn]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It helped.

Can't wait to get my new hardware and check all this out. Either way I choose (BIOS or uEFI) I'm sure it'll be faster than the load times I'm getting now. Plus, I'll finally have a 6Gb/s connector for my SATAIII Crucial.

[ikon]

Windows has 2 different environments for install one of which is a special EFI install for EFI machines which offers a much faster bootime (in my case it was sub 10 seconds). GPT is a requirement for an EFI install so there isn't a need to make that distinction. You can format a GPT partition for an os install (3TB HDD anyone?) and not use the EFI version of windows. If you have a uEFI motherboard & GPT partition and use the EFI version of windows You have an EFI installation.

I've never seen this installer for Windows. How do you invoke it?

[dvn]

Probably by switching the motherboard to uEFI before the installation?

[pcdoc]

Can you guys take a look at this list and tell me what you think? This would replace my main PC which is currently a Q9550 Socket 775 system. The i5-2500K may or may not get swapped out for an i7-2600K, depending on funds. The biggest question is the board. I think it's probably fine since I'm not going to be over-clocking. I'm also not concerned if it doesn't have ob RAID. It has uEFI and a couple 6Gb/s SATA connectors.

Also, is there any reason I should not use uEFI at this time? I'm looking forward to faster boot times which I understand it provides.


LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58 Black CECC Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

$69.99 $55.99



Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K

$219.99



Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996995

$54.99


ASRock Z68 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

$104.99

Configuration looks good. I actually have this case and for the price it is pretty nice. I would not waste my time on EFI boot as you will not be able to backup. Most present day backup software does not work with EFI. If it where me, I would go with an SSD for OS using standard MBR. Went several rounds with this and lets just say it is not ready for prime time. You can usually set this option in the BIOS on most current day boards even the Gigabyte boards with the standard BIOS. When I tested it, saw very marginal difference in boot times so added to the fact you can not backup or restore, I considered it a dud.

[ImTheTypeOfGuy]

Probably by switching the motherboard to uEFI before the installation?

That isn't it as I have UEFI and it didn't ask me to install windows any differently.

It could be if you have UEFI and a GPT disk then it may ask you or do it automatically I guess. I use an SSD so no GPT for me.

[pcdoc]

That isn't it as I have UEFI and it didn't ask me to install windows any differently.

It could be if you have UEFI and a GPT disk then it may ask you or do it automatically I guess. I use an SSD so no GPT for me.

It does not happen automatically, it is usually buried in the BIOS under the boot section. It is not obvious as it is under the CD/DVD section where you can choose from 3 choices but it has been in every Gigabyte and Asus board for quite a while at leas for the past year.

[ikon]

This is becoming quite a mystery: no-control says it's an option when installing Windows; pcdoc says it's a BIOS setting. Could it be both? j/k

[no-control]

not what I sad. It isn't an option when installing windows. Its an option before installing windows. Its a setting in the EFI interface of the board. confirming the setting will usually reboot to the installer. It is on the Windows installer disk explore it and you'll find the EFI folder.